Worth Watching: Trailer for French Dystopian Sci-Fi Film 'Carre Blanc'

How about a dose of dystopian sci-fi to start your week? Twitch has posted a very mesmerizing trailer for a French sci-fi film called Carré Blanc from filmmaker Jean-Baptiste Léonetti. It looks incredibly weird and twisted, but Twitch has seen it and has great things to say. Here's how they describe the film: "Carre Blanc is a near future arthouse science fiction picture that fuses the dark absurdism of Franz Kafka with the icily precise visuals of a Tarkovsky, the picture is a slyly hilarious commentary on capitalism gone badly wrong." Unfortunately it's in French without any subtitles, but it still looks great and intrigues me anyway.

Watch the first official trailer for Jean-Baptiste Léonetti's Carre Blanc via Twitch:

Here's the only IMDb logline: In the future, society's weak are killed and used for meat. Maybe that gives away too much? Carré Blanc is both written and directed by French filmmaker Jean-Baptiste Léonetti, making his feature debut after the 2003 award winning short Le pays des ours. This was produced by Solair Films and Tarantula Suisse. DistriB Films released Carré blanc in France in February earlier this year, but it doesn't have a US distributor or release date yet. We'll have to keep watch for this and will let you know if it shows up at any festivals or otherwise. Jump over to Twitch to read more and watch clips from Carré Blanc.

Reader Feedback - 15 Comments

1

"...the picture is a slyly hilarious commentary oncapitalism gone badly wrong."
Since i dont know the whole plot there is not a lot I can judge, by why is it always about "capitalism" going wrong? When history is replete with examples of socialism going wrong (Cambodia being a notable example). Well it's France, so no surprise really.

History may show examples of socialism going wrong, but that doesn't mean a filmmaker can't take a different turn in their script. Nor does it mean that capitalism doesn't have flaws and if taken to the extreme (as it is in this film in a "slyly hilarious way") can have some negative effects.
It's all about how its used, and how it will affect your characters in trying to reach their goal.

Mike P. on Jul 18, 2011

3

It's easy for them to go after capitalism because they know most people in France (and hollywood) agree with them. It is a cop out.

T_lynn4 on Jul 18, 2011

4

How many villains, warlords, mass-murderers and terrorists in Western films have been soviet or ex-soviet? A conservative estimate would be in the mid hundreds, but it's probably closer to several thousand.

Lebowski on Jul 18, 2011

5

Because for whatever reasons "artist" types love to romanticize socialism and vilify capitalism. Probably because they know without social programs they'd have to get real jobs and work.

Often capitalists are romanticised too, people for get they had slaves, used child labor, had sex with chickens, exploded donkeys for fun, blah blah blaaaaahs, socialism, like capitalism as an idea is great, but when implemented by human beings is the grand failure.

Everyone seems to be reacting to the plot description and not the actual trailer... Anyway, here's a rough translation of the dialogue in the trailer minus what I can't quite make out... granted my French is also a bit rusty.
___________________
Woman:
Do you know what it is to be [?]
You need to become worse.
They need to be afraid of you.
Do you want to end up like your mother?
You will probably end up like her.
My mother was obsessed with what was good for her baby.
PA: ?? your children, its???
You will be married. You will have children. You will succeed
Man1: Back up now, please
Man2: Back up, Back up, Backup
Man1: Come, on. Faster now, lets go, Back up, Back up.
Man1: Are you in the middle of backing up right now?
Woman: All that you have become is what you have made happen.
Man: What did you do?! What did you do?! Tell me what you did!
Woman:
I wont be there when they come looking for me.
the ??? obtained intense joy of ??

AD on Jul 18, 2011

10

so many primitive thinkings in some of these comments...
Agree with AD "Everyone seems to be reacting to the plot description and not the actual trailer". The film looks original and with great atmosphere.
By the way, your translation is pretty good on the whole. (better than my English...)

Kafka AND fucking Tarkovsky? Sweet bastard, they should've called him the second coming of christ and just called it a day.

Lebowski on Jul 18, 2011

13

Be nice if there were sub titles...

Staatz on Jul 18, 2011

14

Looking at clip number three from the twitch link I see that the stuff I couldn't make out had to do with bears... Odd.
so here's an updated translation:
___________________________________
Woman: Do you know of the Country of bears?You need to become worse.They need to be afraid of you.Do you want to end up like your mother?You will probably end up like her.Mother bear knows what was is best for her baby.PA: ?? your children, its??? of croquet.You will be married. You will have children. You will succeedMan1: Back up now, please Man2: Back up, Back up, BackupMan1: Come, on. Faster now, lets go, Back up, Back up.Man1: Are you in the middle of backing up right now?Woman: All that you have become is what you have made happen.Man: What did you do?! What did you do?! Tell me what you did!Woman: I wont be there when they come looking for me.the croquet will give you intense joy.

AD on Jul 19, 2011

15

I got a chance to see this at Fantastic Fest and it was one of the best dark comedies I've seen in years! It never breaks character, playing out this twisted future that I refuse to disclose on because I WANT YOU TO SEE IT! The story line is open to interpretation, and much more complex than than the one line afforded to it by IMDB. I read something into it that others I knew did not see, and then I ran into other viewers who'd caught the same hints. (Do NOT read then extended user review at IMDB, you'll spoil the reveal as the movie unfolds.) There's one point toward the end where a running gag almost made me do a spit take, and that was in the middle of a really traumatic climax! It's a painfully, cruelly funny movie, and intelligently sly.